It was the final round of Premiership football before the holidays so why not make it nice and festive, right? Canterbury United sure had the right idea. They kicked things off this week by hosting Tasman United at 6.30pm on Friday night. Friday night football! What a blessing.

This was a sneaky crucial game for the Dragons. They hit it up sitting ninth on the ladder, having battled hard each and every week but only actually winning once (against Southern in week two). Five games had been and gone since then and three draws were only enough to keep them from the very bottom thanks to goal difference. Lee Padmore made a very notable alteration here as import striker Calum Ferguson dropped to the bench, having only scored once in seven games, though that wasn’t the only change. Juan Chang-Urrea and Dan Schwarz returned to the side, Tom Scott was also back to the bench. On the other side Tasman welcomed Cory Brown back from suspension but lost Cory Vickers for the same reason. Max Winterton made his first start of the season in place of Labu Pan. The fabulous four of Matt Tod-Smith, Jama Boss, Jesse Randall, and Jean-Philippe Saiko were all there.

No surprises for guessing that the two defences were quick to settle. When Tasman have Fox Slotemaker and Cory Brown together they’ve been excellent – beating Team Welly, going close against ACFC, and drawing with the WeeNix. That stability has been the core of their best performances. And the Dragons are always tough to break down so it was a matter of which team could find that spark of creativity to break it open. Tasman had a couple good looks through Jama Boss. Canterbury mostly spent their time looking at the linesman after flag after offside flag went up. Young fella Harris Zeb did get himself involved up top all the same (his third start in a row) but nothing to separate the sides as the orange slices were served.

The game continued in that way for most of the second half with the forwards working hard for both sides but unable to bust the dams. It was only as the game began to get close to the finish line that things opened up some more with the prospect of victory shimmering across the horizon. And it was the home side that got there. George King and Aaron Clapham both struck within a few minutes of each other and they saw it out from there for a hugely relieving 2-0 win. Breaking the seal after those five games without a win, so to speak. A win that leaps Canterbury up three places on the table to a much more comfortable sixth, while Tasman actually drop back from sixth to last.

Auckland City finish the year of 2019 at the summit of the ladder just as everybody expected. They’ve sorta stumbled into the break though after being held 0-0 down in Dunedin against Southern United. That makes it consecutive 0-0 draws after Eastern Suburbs locked them down a week ago at Kiwitea Street. City are still undefeated. They’re still the clear best team (and they might get even better if Emiliano Tade decides to try a comeback after he effectively walked out on Mamelodi Sundowns in South Africa a couple weeks ago, making the pretty brave call to return to family in Aotearoa after injuries and workload and personal circumstances meant he just wasn’t enjoying it there... not sure what’ll happen there). But they have now been held to three draws from eight games.

Logan Rogerson was back in the starting team for the first time since week four, with Clayton Lewis dropping back to the bench, while Mario Bilen swapped in for Brian Kaltack in the back three... since Angel Berlanga came back to full fitness those two have alternated week by week for that final CB spot alongside Berlanga and Adam Mitchell (who has been a standout so far). Conor Tracey also stayed on as keeper, Enaut Zubikarai short on fitness after his personal leave. And Jordan Vale was rested for the first time with Dylan Manickum coming in. No David Browne either, he was on the bench with Mario Ilich back in the lineup and Yousif Ali playing further forward.

The game started in a very predictable manner with Auckland City controlling a lot of the ball and probing around for weaknesses in the Southern defence. And Southern were happy to sit deep and stay compact despite the more cavalier nature of their recent performances (remember they lost 6-1 last week though, away to Team Welly). But sure enough the half-chances started emerging for ACFC. Myer Bevan, Logan Rogerson, and Yousif Ali all went close, while there was a penalty shout turned down as well. Southern had a decent effort half an hour in as Stephen Last nodded one wide but the offside flag was already up.

Into the second half and Southern became even happier to sit back and attack on the counter the longer it stayed at evens. City ramped up the pressure but Southern weren’t budging. Paul O’Reilly had swung the axe after last week’s shocker, Yousif Al-Kalisy and Erik Panzer dropping to the bench with Andrew Cromb and Cody Brook coming into the eleven and a few folks shuffling around. Tim O’Farrell played further forwards for example, while Conor O’Keeffe moved to left-back. And it all worked pretty nicely. Cam McKenzie was inches away from getting his foot on the end of a Joel Stevens cross which could have given Southern the lead against the run of play... though it was Liam Little who proved the key man. A pair of magical saves near the end of things mean this one ended goalless and Southern had a very useful point. Remember that they did something similar in a midweek game in this fixture last season, the only points that ACFC dropped all regular season. Apparently it’s also the first time Auckland City have ever been kept scoreless in consecutive games in this competition. How about that?

That game was on Saturday and that same day saw Waitakere United hosting Team Wellington. The Waitaks made one change from the team that lost 4-2 to HBU last week, with Dane Schnell back in the team and Jake Porter dropping out. That meant Shuaib Khan held his place after getting his first start last week, shout out to that guy. Otherwise the same fellas though – Nick Draper, Robert Tipelu, Luke Searle, Sam Burfoot, Lachlan McIsaac, Nic Zambrano, and Alex Connor-McLean have all started every game for Paul Hobson. On the other side, no need to alter a winning team so Team Welly were 1-11 from the side that pumped Southern six days earlier. Another start for Marko Stamenic therefore.

Both teams had chances early in this one. Dane Schnell going close for the home side while the TeeDubs were doing plenty through the sizzling form of Ollie Bassett but he had a couple that he blasted over the top of the crossbar. Andy Bevin also struck one across goal but ultimately the first half ended goalless. Not really what either of these teams are used to – the last two (completed) Waitakere games had seen 13 combined goals while the last two Team Welly games led to 12 combined goals. Yet it was 0-0 at the half at Seddon Fields.

Jack-Henry Sinclair had scored in his previous three games and he served up the closest thing to a goal yet four minutes into the half when the right wing-back struck the post. But that led to a nice little spell for the home side, who had Zambrano head one over and Schnell threaten with another shot at goal. Scott Hales responded for Team Welly with a double sub to get Hamish Watson and Ollie Whyte on for Sam Mason-Smith and Marko Stamenic but within minutes they were trailing. Dane Schnell finally got the goal he deserved as he found some space and curled one into the corner of the net. That’s his fourth goal of the season, not bad at all.

Team Welly had to get desperate after that and Ollie Bassett forced Nick Draper into a top save, just as the rain began to fall on the artificial turf. Pretty soon Nati Hailemariam was out there too and Team Welly were going ballistic for that equaliser. Waitakere were forced into defending for their lives at the end and, following a brief moment of panic before a TW goal was ruled out for offside, it was starting to seem like they might just get there too. Sinclair was denied as he charged forwards. Bassett had a free kick hit the wall. It was everybody forward that they could afford as we ticked deeper and deeper into stoppage time. And then....

Guuuuts, bro. Hamish Watson was credited with the goal, typical Watto finding a way to score – second week in a row he’s scored off the bench. The point keeps Team Welly just three back from Auckland City in second place, while the Waitaks remain in fifth as we hit the hiatus. One point off the semis and two points off last. Yeah, the table’s bonkers this year... maybe 2020 will offer a little more sense to things. Remember Waitakere has a game in hand though after that Hamilton Wanderers game was abandoned with Waitakere leading 2-1. A game they’ll back themselves to win.

Our televised match was at a lovely Porritt Stadium, as Hamilton Wanderers looked to build upon a win over Tasman last week against a Hawke’s Bay United team on a six-game unbeaten streak. Kale Herbert made a couple modifications to things, giving Tino Contratti a first game this season in partnership with Brock Messenger at the back (yet another central defensive pairing for HW), while Xavier Pratt also came in with Thilo Wilke and Adam Davidson dropping to the bench. All normal stuff for the Tron Wands who haven’t named the same eleven in consecutive games at all this season.

Hawke’s Bay on the other hand were as flustered as they’ve been all campaign... also making two changes. Prior to this they’d named the same team in the first four games. Then made one change as Jorge Akers came in for Karan Mandair at wingback and that team stuck for three more weeks. So one single change in seven games... but here they had two. Utter crisis. Liam Schofield and Adam Cowan coming in at the wingback positions. Both interesting fellas, Schofield’s a Napier City Rovers bloke who scored in both the semi-final and final of the Chatham Cup this year while Adam Cowan is a veteran of the league with Youngheart Manawatu most famously and if that sounds like a blast from the past then yeah he’s 38 years old. He’s also fit and furious and fitted right in on the right flank.

Wanderers have been all over the show this season and came into this game dead last on the table... but they were definitely improved last week and they started this one of the front foot as Derek Tieku and Tommy Semmy were involved in plenty, each going close with early attempts. HBU made a few ventures out into attack and Dylan Sacramento was at the heart of most of them. But mostly this thing was taking place in one half of the field which doesn’t quite paint Ruben Parker getting caught so far off his line that Derek Tieku was able to pop one past him which rolled and skidded agonisingly towards goal as Parker dashed pack to try and recover... then it hit the inside of the post... then it ended up in Parker’s hands. A fantastic recovery but had the ball crossed the line? Mate I mean... yeah probably. The way Parker pushed the ball forwards in his hands made it look that way but to be honest without video replays (and even the Sky broadcast was far from conclusive) it’s just impossible to tell for sure. Dunno, what do you reckon?

Parker made another super save off Tieku about five minutes before the break, literally getting a foot in after Tieku had been set up by Jordan Lamb. This wasn’t a completely one-sided contest though. The Bay had their occasional forays and after a little rev-up from the dual gaffers and a little change in tactics they came out strong in the second half. Matt Oliver had plenty to do, making an excellent save with his outstretched arm on the dive to deny Adam Cowan. Ihaia Delaney and Brock Messenger then had a bit of back and forth with the physical stuff, each getting booked for fouling the other in the space of about three minutes (most of which being time that Messenger was getting medical attention for) and that became an increasing factor in this game, both teams having played up the local pride side of things in recruitment and nobody was taking a backwards step here.

It wasn’t until the 75th minute of the game that we finally got a goal and it was a bit of a wild one. Semmy had played a great ball in to Pratt on the right side of the box, leading to a bit of penalty area pinball, everybody’s favourite. A blocked shot, a fine save, and then oh here we go it’s Derek Tieku heading in the rebound to make it 1-0. He’s had a fantastic season so far, the best of the attackers for HW. This was his fifth goal of the season and every goal that the Wanderers have scored in, Derek Tieku has scored in.

But Hawke’s Bay thought they’d snatched it back with Ahinga Selamani scored in the 87th min. He’d almost scored immediately after the goal as HBU stormed forward after the kickoff but Oliver saved it. Another messy build up but then as the ball bounced around in the box suddenly out of the rubble rose Selemani, upside down and everything. An overhead kick to tie the game up with just minutes remaining. Five games in a row that he’s scored in, what a signing. Seven goals all up. Only Myer Bevan has more.

Except it wasn’t over yet. Just as HBU had done, Hamilton went straight down the other end and threatened, Tommy Semmy with the effort. Kale Herbert chucked on his German import Thilo Wilke amidst more yellow cards. Then with only seconds remaining Jake Butler got the ball at his feet. Edge of the area, big crowd all around him, he shimmies just enough to unleash a curling shot and although Ruben Parker got a hand to it, tipping it onto the post, it still crept in. A 94th minute winner for the home side. Aaaaand breathe.

End of the unbeaten streak for HBU. First time they’ve been kept to just one goal in a game and it cost them. That defence isn’t impenetrable all of a sudden, they’ve still conceded 17 goals in eight games, but they’ve been scoring at a pace to keep up with that. Here they didn’t... and they lost. Which keeps up a pretty drastic New Manager Bounce for Kale Herbert after back to back wins in charge (especially since they lost the three games before that by a combined score of 13-2). It also validates an incredible emerging trend in the Premiership...

HW when Brock Messenger starts:

3 W | 0 D | 0 L | 8 GF | 3 GA | +5 GD | 9 PTS

HW when Brock Messenger doesn’t start:

0 W | 0 D | 4 L | 3 GF | 18 GA | -15 GD | 0 PTS

Also Jake Butler has also scored in all three Wanderers wins. Tommy Semmy had scored in the first two but he didn’t here, all goods.

Simultaneously an hour or two north it was a proper old game of two halves as the Wellington Phoenix reserves were welcomed by Eastern Suburbs. After the A-League team played the day before, things got very tasty with rumours of a few first teamers making their way to Auckland for some extra minutes in the legs. Callum McCowatt against his old team? Ben Waine getting a run around? Hells yeah. But it got even more star-studded because Gary Hooper then volunteered to play having still not lasted more than 45 minutes for the Phoenix despite signing two months ago. Awkward for Eastern Suburbs to suddenly be up against an almost fully professional team, in the end the entire seven-man bench from the night before were included in Paul Temple’s starting eleven... but good metrics for their (outstanding) livestream at least. And of course it meant an opportunity for Super Hooper to add another league to his legendary and unique goal tally list...

Oli Sail started in goal. Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi and Liam McGing in central defence with Ronan Wynne and Kurtis Mogg alongside. Sam Sutton and Noah Tipene-Clegg in midfield. Ahmed Othman and Callum McCowatt on the wings. Ben Waine and Gary Hooper up topskees. Quite a team, that one. Hooper’s a rare case of an import striker playing for the ressies but it has happened before, most recently Michal Kopczynski started last season with the Premmy team as he worked to full fitness.

As for Eastern Suburbs, amongst the many dogs out for walks and kids on their bikes out for a Sunday arvo stroll at Madills Farm, Tony Readings threw in a few curveballs with his team. He didn’t have the services of Stephen Hoyle or Mohamed Awad here which was a huge blow but it did mean a run for Ryan Verney after featuring off the bench the last couple weeks while Mike Built played in the front line and Kelvin Kalua came back in at right back. Campbell Strong started another one in the midfield. Exciting to see Kingsley Sinclair and Leon van den Hoven amongst the substitutes too. Sinclair’s played a couple times off the bench already but LVDH hadn’t been sighted yet in a proper game since returning from Holland a while back.

There wasn’t much sight of those Suburbs attackers in that first half though, yikes. It was all WeeNix with that front four playing with great energy and applying all sorts of pressure. Christian Gray and Alec Solomons had their hands full in central defence, that’s for sure... though it was Sam Sutton pushing out of midfield and winning a lot of the balls that led to these attacks, gotta point it out. Fresh from making his A-League debut the night before and he was all fired up and playing fantastic.

Hooper had the first real crack, gifted the ball in a great position but he tried to lift it over Danyon Drake and couldn’t get the elevation. Thirty seconds later it was 1-0 anyway. Ben Waine took a first touch so silky to beat Dylan De Jong that you need a cold shower just for watching it and he was through one on one where he slid the ball past Drake to put the WeeNix in front. Yet another goal for a fella who scored twice the only other time he dropped down to this level so far this season – on that note only Hooper and McCowatt were actually playing their first WeeNix games here despite the stacked nature of that team.

McCowatt didn’t quite get things falling his way, similar to his A-League experience so far, but he had a couple shots that he didn’t make the most of. This is a level he absolutely dominated last time though. He was well at home here and getting involved as much as he could – everybody knows he was The Rightful MVP of last season with Eastern Suburbs... although he never played at Madills and he never played with most of these new Suburbs crew. Must’ve been a weird one for him. Danyon Drake made one incredible save about 27 mins in to deny McCowatt.

The second goal was inevitable the way the game was going and when it finally did come it was cold and ruthless. Suburbs were on the attack with a corner but as often happens with those things the ball was cleared and the defence was all jumbled. The WeeNix won a throw near halfway which Sutton took quickly to unleash Waine who then crossed it in for a simple Gary Hooper tap in. Add ‘ISPS Handa Premiership’ to the list, amigo. Ticking them all off now. Can’t be many others to have scored in the Champions League proper and also the NZ Premiership. Maybe Sarpreet Singh if we give him a few more months.

But then a funny thing happened after Hooper was subbed off with his requisite forty-five all logged and accounted for. Byron Heath came on for Hoops at HT and not blaming him for this at all... but this game flipped on its head. Probably it had most to do with the WeeNix tiring after a high energy first half. Plus, like, Suburbs were well up for this one. They blew a 2-0 lead two weeks back against Team Welly to lose 3-2 so they know what’s possible and they were right back in it when Martin Bueno sent Oli Sail the wrong way from the penalty spot. Liam McGing had conceded it, 54th minute, and despite the one-sided first half it was game on now, buddy.

Then in the 74th minute it was 2-2. Sutton had chopped down Bueno on the left side of their defence and Bueno took the free kick himself, curling it in where Reid Drake got the slightest touch and everybody else just watched it past. The WeeNix had still been doing a few things over that second half, still pushing for a third goal, but after the equaliser there was only one team likely to win it. And goddammit but they almost did. Campbell Strong had a late shot that went gaspingly wide. Kingsley Sinclair then had an even better one but he also volleyed it slightly off target. Big pile on from Suburbs at the end there... but the WeeNix held on for the 2-2 draw.

And that, ladies and gents, is that for the Premiership in 2019. The WeeNix have drawn four games out of eight, only winning once but scoring goals and avoiding defeat like they weren’t really capable of until much later in the term last season. Eastern Suburbs have now failed to win their last five but with four draws in that time they’re also adept at avoiding defeat... in hindsight we shoulda picked it. Both trends were clear in these teams’ recent history, the draws and the comebacks. Anyway, there are three weeks off now before the league resumes on 11 January with the final round of the first half of the season, after which everybody will have played everybody once (that one postponed game aside). The league table probably still won’t make any sense at that point but that’s all part of the joy of this gloriously unique football league. See ya back in a few weeks.

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